Engine controller



Aug. c. H.'JORGENSE'N-I ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 11, 1943 9 Sheets-Sheet l 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR c. H. JO RGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 11, 1943 Aug. 21, 1945.

c. JORGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 11, ,1943

Aug} 21, 1945.

9 SheetsP-Sheet 4 1945- c. H. JORGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 11, 1943 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORN EW Aug. 21, 1945. c. H. JORGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 11, 1943 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 III C Aug. 21, 1945. C. H. JORGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Filed Feb'. ll. 1943 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 b I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I n I WW; m

Aug. 21, 1945., 6:. H. JORGENSEN ENGINE CONTROLLER Patented I Aug. 21 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE CONTROLLER Clarence H. Jorgensen, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application February 11, 1943, Serial No. 475,559

4 Claims.

This invention relates to fuel intake pressure controllers for supercharged internal combustion engines used on airplanes. A type of pressure controller to which the present invention relates is disclosed in Dolza et al. application, Serial No. 449,918, filed July 6, 1942. The controller of the Dolza application has a main control lever connected with the pilot's throttle control lever.

' The main control lever is operated to select an intake pressure to be maintainedduring operation of. the aircraft at varying altitudes and is effective to move the throttle toward open position an amount approximating that for take off or for producing the selected pressure at sea level. With increasing altitude the opening movement of the throttle which is brought about by the manually operated lever is supplemented structed and arranged as to provide a. manual control of the throttle supplemented by an auto-. matic control which is so constructed that the total amount of throttle movement effected manually and automatically brings the throttle to wide open position at critical altitude throughout a range of pressure selections extending from the high pressures specified for take-off and emergency to substantially lower pressures specified for cruising. At less than critical altitude the opening of the throttle will vary in accordance with the pressure selected.

by an additional movement of the throttle brought about automatically and such movement is suflicient to move the throttle to whatever position is necessary to maintain the intake pressure selected by the main control lever. pressure is maintained on decrease in altitude by automatically moving the throttle toward closed position the required distance.

The automatic control of the throttle is effected by an hydraulic servo-motor having a control valve which is initially set by the manually operated main control lever for the purpose of selecting the fuel intake pressure to be maintained and which is adjusted by means responsive to fuel intake pressure in order that the servomotor will operate to the extent required for automatically moving the throttle valve to obtain the fuel intake pressure selected, independently of altitude. The extent of throttle opening obtained manually plus the extent of throttle opening obtained automatically gives wide open throttle position at critical altitude for a limited range of selection of high intake pressure such as required for take-off and emergency operation of the engine. The controller of the Dolza application does not provide for wide open throttle at critical altitude, when the pressures are those selected for cruising. In the opinion of some engine builders, this may not be any practical disadvantage. However, there are other engine builders who demand that the regulator shall give wide open throttle at critical altitude, not only when the pressure selection is at high values specified for take-off and emergency, but also when the pressure selection is at lower values specified for cruising.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a throttle valve controller so con- That In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention this object is accomplished by allowing the piston of the hydraulic servo motor to travel whatever distance is required to move the throttle valve to substantially wide open position at critical altitude, for a wide range of pressure selections extending from the pressur selection desirable for minimum cruising up to the maximum required for emergency operation. A variable stop adjusted by the main control lever detel-mines the travel of the servo-piston with predetermined relation to the extent of opening of the throttle valve as eflected manually by movement of the main control lever which also selects the pressure to be maintained in relation to altitude. For example, when the main control lever is moved to select a pressure for take-off or emergency, the corresponding throttle valve movement is relatively great; then the variable stop is so located as to permit the servo-piston to travel a relatively short distance. When the main control lever is moved to select pressures for cruising, the throttle valve is moved to a less wide open position while the variable stop is so located as to permit the servo-piston to travel the greater distance required in order that the throttle will be brought to substantially wide open position by the combined operation of the manual means and the automatic servo-motor. In other words, for take of! or emergency the manual movement of the throttle is great and'the automatic movement small, whereas for cruising the manual movement of the throttle is smaller and the automatic movement greater.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, -reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown Inthe drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a-fuelintake pressure controller embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view taken in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow 8 O1 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view online of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation taken in the direction- H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 8-9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevation viewed from the same side as Fig. 5 and showing the controller in condition for placing the throttle valve in idle position.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the condition of the controller after the throttle valve has been opened manually to a certain extent.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing the condition of the controller after moving the throttle. automatically to substantially full open position from the position from which the throttle was manually operated.

Fig. 13 is a chart showing the relation of throttle opening to movement of the control lever of the regulator.

Fig. 14 is adiagram of movements of the regul'ator.

Referring to Fig. l the controller comprises a housing 28 having an integral bracket 2| (Figs.

" 5 and 6) by which the controller may be mounted on the frame of an internal combustion engine. Screws 22 and 23 secure to the housing 28 a plate 24. Screws 25 and 28 secure to the housing 28 a plate 21. Plate 21 provides a bracket 28 supporting a bearing 29 (Fig. 2). Bearing 29 supports a shaft 38 which is operated by a main control lever 3| connected by any suitable means (not shown) with the pilots throttle control lever. When shaft 38 is turned by the arm 3| it moves an arm 32 secured to the shaft 38 and carrying at its free end a stud 33 which provides a movable fulcrum for a bell crank lever having arms 34 and 35. The free end of arm 34 is connected at 38 with a link comprising parts 31a, 31b and 310 which is connected at 38 with a lever 39 attached to a shaft 48 which, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 10 is connected with the throttle valve 4| of an engine induction passage 42.

Arm 35 is connected by a stud 45 with a link 48 connected with a pin 41 which carries rollers 48 for engaging variable stop bars 49. The pin 41 provides a pivotal connection with a block. 52

threaded on the end of a piston rod 53 of a hydraulic 'servomotor to be described. Pin 41 is retained by an integral shoulder 5|, a washer 54 and a cotter pin 54a.

and retained by a plug 81.

i is locked thereto in adjusted position by a nut 18. Clevis 11 is pivotally connected with an arm 19 by a screw pin 88 retained by nut 8|. Arm 18 is connected with shaft 82 (Figs.,1 and 9) having a bearing ina tubular shaft 88 eccentric with respect to the axis of shaft '88.

Shaft 82 supports and drives a cam 83 (Figs. 7 and 9) for selecting pressure to be maintained in a predetermined relatlon to altitude in the fuel intake passage 42 (Fig. 10) of the engine. Cam 83 engages a lever 84 urged against the cam by a spring 85 located in a pocket 88 of housing 28 An adjustment of cam 83 relative to lever 84 can be effected by rotating the shaft 88 in its bearing in housing 28 by moving an arm 59- connected with shaft 88. The arm 59 is secured in adjusted position by locatingscrews 58 threaded through lugs 51 integral with housing 28 and secured by lock nuts 58 in position for preventing movement of arm 58 from the required position of adjustment. Intermediate its ends the lever 84 is pivotally supported by pin 88 and is attached at its lower end by pin 89 to a clevis 98 attached by red 9| to a valve 92 having lands 93 and 94 and. slidable within a valve sleeve 95 having annular grooves threaded pipe (not shown) by which a connection is made with the -oil pressure system of the engine. As shown in Fig. 7 ports 99 are connected with ports I88; therefore pressure oil will flow from I83, I82, 91, I88, sleeve 95, ports 99 to groove the left end of cylinder I88 provided by hous- 98. Groove 98 is connected by a cross-passage I85 (Fig. 8) with a longitudinal passage I 88 having an outlet at I81 (Fig. 7) communicating with ing 28. The pressure fluid therefore urges a piston I89 connected with rod 53 toward the right. During movement of the piston I89 toward the right into the position shown in Fig. 7. any hydraulic fluid at the right end of the piston would be discharged through port 8, annular groove 98, ports |8|, through the valve sleeve 95 and The'main control lever 3| is secured to the shaft 38 in various positions depending upon the manner of connecting the lever with the pilots control lever; This is effected by providing the lever 9| with a clamping hub 3|a cooperating with clamping screw 3|b. The limits of movement of lever 3| areset by stop screws 84 threaded through lugs 88 respectively integral with bracket 28 and locked in ad, isted position by nuts 88. The stop screws 84 engage a lever 18 integral with the lever 32 and, provided with one-or'more holes 1I'near its-freeend. One of the holes 1| may be selected for passing therethrough a screw 12 secured by nut 13 and providing a pivotal connection with a clevis 14,

through the pocket III which is connected by passage II2 (Fig. 9) with the chamber 3 (Fig. '7), located in housing 28 and exterior to the cylinder I88.

When valve 92 is moved into the position shown inFig. 11 by means'to be described later so as to connect ports I88 and IN, pressure fluid flows through port 8 into the right end (Fig. 7) of cylinder I88 and moves the piston I89 toward the left and the hydraulic fluid at the left of the piston 89 flows out of the cylinder I88 through passages I81. I88 and I and into annular groove 98 and through ports 99 and into the interior of sleeve and out through the left end of sleeve 95 (Fig. '7) and into the chamber II3. through a restricted passage 5 (Fig. 7) leading into a pocket 8 which is connected as shown in Fig. 3 with a drain passage 1 provided at its lower end with screw threads II8 for connection with a drain pipe. .The vertical passage 1 The bottom of chamber H3 is drained municating with the upper portion of the chamber II3. During operation of the controller, while the engine is running. more oil is discharged into the chamber 3 than can be drained by the passage I|5 alone, therefore this oil rises in the chamber I I3 to the level of the lower wall of the passage 5 (Fig. 7), thereby substantially filling the chamber 3 with hy- The left end of cylinder I05 is closed by plug I urged by a spring I2I against the plate 24 which provides the passages H5, H5, H1, H8

and Ill. The spring I2| serves to move the piston I09 into the position shown in case of failure of oil pressure. Plug I20 provides a tubular bearing I22 for supporting the piston rod 53 which when moved to the extreme left position is received by the pocket I I5. Any leakage of pressure fluid through the part I22 of the plug I20 is drained through pocket 5 and into passage 1 (Fig. 3). To the right of piston I03 the rod 53 passes through a bushing I25 supported by a plug I25 extending into hole in the plate 21 and through an oil seal member I21 supported by the plug I26. Any hydraulic fluid that would leak past the bushing I25 is caught by the oil seal I21 and the excess is drained through. a vertical drain passage I28 leading to a horizontal drain passage I29 (Fig. 9) connected at the drain passage 1 (Fig. 3).

A spring I30 is located in the pocket III (Fig. for the purpose of urging the flanged head I3I of sleeve against the shoulder I32 provided by housing 22.

The fulcrum pin 55 of lever 54 is supported by bridge members I40 (Fig. 7) integral with plates HI and I42 connected respectively with flexible metal bellows I43 and 44 which are connected respectively at their outer ends with plates I45 and I45. The space bounded by plates MI and I45 and the bellows I43 is hermetically sealed and is evacuated so that these members provide an aneroid which compensates for any effect on bellows I 44 due to change in atmospheric pressure. Since the bellows I44 is to be responsive to engine fuel intake pressure, the controller provides passages leading into the interior of the bellows I44. These passages include the horizontal passage I having a threaded end I51 (Fig. 3) for connection with a pipe (not shown) which is connected with the engine intake. Horizontal passage I50 is connected by vertically inclined passage I52 (Fig. 8) with a pocket I53 in housing 20. Pocket I53 opens into the space within the plate I46 and communicates with the interior of bellows I44 through a hole in a plate I54 serving as a retainer for a spring I55 bearing also against the plate I42. Screws I51 secure plate I45 and a gasket I55 to the housing 20. Springs I58 and I59 are located within the bellows I43 and are confined between the plates |4| and I45. The springs I55, I58 and I59 are so interrelated and calibrated that the movements of pivot pin 88 bear a substantially linear'relation to the changes in fuel intake pressure. An adjustment can be made by changing the position of the plate I45 relative to the fixed plate I45.

Fig. 7- shows that the plate I45 is located againsta tubular plug I60 threaded into the tubular boss |5| of plate 24. Plug I50 is retained in position by a lock nut I52. Screw I53 which retains a lock nut cover |54 passes through a plain hole in plug I50 and is screw threadedly received by the plate I45. To change the position of plate I45 relative to plate I45, screw I53 is removed and the cover I54 is removed to provide access to the nut I52 which is loosened so as to permit turning of the plug I50 by the screw driver slots I55 therein. The plug I60 is turned in or out according to the adjustment to be made; and the lock nut I52 is tightened to secure the plug I50 in the desired position. The screw I53 and lock nut cover I54 are replaced and the screw I53 is tightened so as to urge the plate I45 against the inner end of the plug I50. q

Access to the upper portion of chamber 3 in housing 20 is provided through an opening I10 (Fig. 9) closed by plug Ill.

The operation of the controller is as follows: normally the parts of the controller occupy the position shown in Fig. 10; and the throttle valve 4| is in idle position shown at approximately 18 degrees from horizontal. The main control lever 3| is moved from the position in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, thereby causing arm 32 to move clockwise to the position in Fig. 11 and likewise trated embodiment of the invention, the main control lever 3I- has been rotated manually its maximum distance. Therefore .the movement of valve 4| between the position shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is the maximum movement of the valve which can be effected by manual operation. If main control lever is moved a lesser amount, the valve 4| will be moved manually a lesser amount.

Movement of the main control lever 3| into the position shown in Fig. 11 causes a movement of lever arm 10 from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, thereby causes through the intermediate link 15, lever arm 19 and cam shaft 52, a movement of the pressure selector cam 83 from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, thereby permitting the spring 85 to move the lever- 84 clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, thereby causing valve 92 to move left from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, thereby placing port I00 in communication with port I0|, thereby causing pressure fluid to flow into the left end of the cylinder I05 as shown in Fig. 11 or at the right end of the cylinder as shown in Fig. 7. This causes the piston I09 and the piston rod 53 and the rollers 48 and the link 45 to move toward the right. As the link 45 moves right, floating bell-crank lever arms 34, 35 move counterclockwise about pivot 33 which remains fixed because lever 3| is held in fixed position by virtue of its connection with the pilot's control, lever which is retained in fixed position by frictional or other connection with a stationary sector. As the bell-crank moves counterclockwise, link 31 and lever 39 move toward the left to cause whatever further opening movement of valve 4| is required, in order to produce, at sea level or for movement of said lever 9|. When that pressure is obtained, bellows I44 will expand tocause the valve 92 to close ports and 99 and piston I09- will cease moving. To maintain the pressure selected, as the altitude increases, the throttle valve 4| must be opened wider and at critical altitude thethrottle valve 4| will be wide open or 90 to horizontal, as shown in Fig. 12. Since the valve 4| is located in idle position at an angle of 72 to the axisof pipe 42, a 72 movement of the valve 4| is required to locate it in wide open position. The maximum movement of the'main control lever 3| required to give the highest pressure selection caused the valve 4| to move 56 from its idle position. To complete the 72 movement, the piston I09 is required to move just far enough to cause valve 4| to move an additional 16. Above the critical altitude, the bellows I44 contracts and ,calls" for more throttle opening by moving servo control valve 92 toward the left in Fig. 12, thereby placing pressure fluid at the left of piston I09. It would, however, be undesirable to permit the piston I09 to move further 'to the right because the throttle valve is already standing in its full open position and if no stop member for the throttle is provided which would prevent a movement beyond the full open position, such further movement of the piston I09 would actually move the throttle valve toward closed position. Such a movement of the throttle the rollers 49 with the stop plates 49 which are moved from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, when lever 3| is moved to select the maximum pressure. For this purpose shaft 30, operated by lever 3|, drives an arm 200, connected by a pin with a link 202 connected ,by a pin 203 with ears 204 integral with a bar 205 integral with the stop plates 49. Plates 49 (Fig.

4) are guided by way-bosses 206 integral with plate 2'I-and by way-boss cover-plates 201 secured by screws 208 and also by screws 26.

It will be understood that the plates 49 are so shaped that they permit the piston I09 to move to the right the necessary distance to bring the throttle valve to wide open position at critical altitude for any particular pressure which can be selected by operation of the main control lever. In Fig. 12, the main control lever has been moved to a position to select the maximum pressure obtainable and the plates 49 have been moved to a position where the rollers 48 can move only a relatively short distance before engaging the plates. This will permit a relatively small movement of piston I09 which is all that is necessary for effecting full opening of the throttle at critical altitude for that particular pressure selection. If the control lever is moved to select a lower pressure the plates are positioned so that a greater movement of the piston I09 is permitted, this being necessary to bring the throttle to wide open position at critical altitude when the lower pressure is selected. In this way greater movements of the piston are permitted when the selected pressures are low than when Po, Pluto P60.

the selected pressures are-high, as-has beenpreviously indicated.

Fig. 13 shows the relation of throttle opening to movement of lever 3|. when lever is moved 60, the distance required to select the maximum pressure to be maintained, the manually effected throttle'movement is H or 56, and the automatic movement obtained at critical altitude by the hydraulic servo is L-H or 16, L or 72 being I the maximum throttle opening movement. Curve GH shows manually effected throttle opening movementfrom idle for various positions of lever 3| -from the 0 to the 60 position. Curve KL shows the maximum possible opening movement of the throttle. The distances vertically between .curves KL and GH show the amounts of automatic movement of the throttle effected by the servo.v The automatic movement is minimum when lever 3| is at 60 position and is maximum when the lever 3| is at 0' position.

The object is to obtain such a relation between the manual movements and the automatic movements of the throttle valve that maximum throttle opening can be obtained at critical altitude for a wide range of pressure "selections. This condition is represented by curve KL which rises to maximum (72) at the 25 position of lever 3| which is about the position for the selection of pressure required for minimum cruising. To give this result, stop plates 49 are shaped to allow the-piston I09 tomove greater distances when the pressure selections and manually effected throttlev movements are less than the maximum.

Fig. 14 shows how the contour of plates 49 was obtained to give the results shown in Fig. 13. The lever 3| is moved in 6 equal increments of 10 to complete the total of 60. The first position of pivot 33 is Co and the succeeding position at C10 to C60. The corresponding manually effected positions of pivot 36 at the end of lever arm 34 are Bo, B10 to B60. The corresponding manually effected positions'of pivot 45 at the end of lever arm 35 are Do, D10 to D60. The corresponding manually effected movements of throttle lever 39 are M0, M10 to'Mso. Mso gives the 56 position of throttle 4|. At the end of the automatically effected movements thereof, pivot 31 takes the positions Bo, B'io to B'so, and pivot 45 takes the positions D'o, D'io t0 Deo, Therefore plates 49 are shaped so that the rollers 48 are stopped when their axes are in the positions It will be noted that positions P0, P10 and P20 are all the same. This accounts for the droop in curve KL to the left of the 25 position of lever 3|. This is permissible since the engine does not operate at a pressure less than that required for minimum cruising; and there is no object in trying to maintain maximum throttle opening. Points Po, P-iO to P60 are projected upwardl to points R0, R10 to R60 to show the relation of the axes of rollers 48 to the plate 49 for various locations thereof as determined by the location of pivot 33, lever 200 and the pin cally effected throttle opening to vary from K or- 56 to. L-H or 16. This causes the horizontal portion of curve KL to remain at maximum for pressure selections corresponding to position of lever 3| from 25 for cruising to 60 for emergeney. The pressure selection for minimum cruise could be that corresponding to the 18 position of lever with a throttle opening of only 2under the maximum,

As altitude increases the engine exhaust back pressure decreases. Commensurate with the decrease in power required to exhaust the en ine, there is a gradual decrease in the selected pressure as altitude increases. the decrease amounts to a few percent of the pressure obtained at ground level by the setting of the main control lever 3|. The gradual decrease or drop in the selected pressure is obtained by providing the bellows I with a surface exposed to atmospheric pressure greater in area than the exposed surface of bellows I43. Therefore, there is a pressure diilerential between the efl'ects of atmospheric pressure on the bellows H3 and I. As altitude increases," this pressure differential decreases. At zero atmospheric pressure this differential would be zero. Consequently, there is a relative movement of pivot 88 toward the right in Fig. 12 as altitude increases; and equilibrium is established as shown in Fig. 12 at a lower engine fuel intake pressure than would otherwise obtain if the external area of the bellows I43 and I were equal. Q

The disclosed embodiment oi the present invention is one of many combinations of manually effected and automatically eflected throttle movemerits which are possible by varying the geometry At critical altitude,-

. 5 tle valvewill be opened to the extent necessary to maintain a required pressure,'means operated by the control member for selecting a pressure to be maintained by operation of the servo-motor,

I tween the members and the element and providing for independent movement of the element by either member, means for controlling the movement of the piston to effect the additional opening movement of the'throttle valve necessary to maintain a required engine intake pressure, said means comprising a valve :for controlling the admission of pressure fluid to the cylinder, means operated by the control member for positioning the valve in order to select a pressure to be maintained and intake pressure responsive means for positioningthe servo-valve in order to determine the movement 01' the piston I required for the opening of the throttle valve to maintain a selected pressure; and an adjustable of the moving parts and the contour of the stop plates 9.

While the embodiment of the present invention 1 as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form.

it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A throttle valve controller for supercharged internal combustion engines comprising a throttle valve operating element, manually operated means for moving the element to open the throttle valve, a servo-motor operating in responsebe maintained by operation of the servo-motor, and an adjustable stop operated by the manual means for variably limiting the servo-motoreflected movement of the throttle valve operating elementto that required for moving the throttle valve to a predetermined open position when critical altitude is reached throughout a range or pressure selections required for cruising, takeoff and emergency. I

2. A throttle valve controller for supercharged internal. combustion engines comprising a manually operated control member, a servo-motor having a force applying member, a thrpttle valve operating element, means for'mechanically connecting the members with the element and providing tor-independent movement or the element by either member, means responsive to engine intake pressure for controlling the movement of the servo-motor member in order that the throtstop moved by the control member for variably limiting the movement ofthe piston to that required for moving the throttle valve to a predetermined open position when critical altitude is reached throughout a range of pressure selections required for cruising,;take-ofl and emersency. i

4. A throttle valve controller for supercharged internal combustion engines comprising a bell crank lever having a movable fulcrum; a fluid pressure operated servo-motor having a cylinder and piston means for connecting the piston with P an arm of the lever; means for connecting the.

other arm of the lever with the engine v throttle valve; a-manually operated control member for moving the fulcrum of the lever to effect opening movement of the throttle valve independently of the piston: mean for controlling the movement of the piston to effect the additional opening movement of the throttle valve necessary tomaintain a required engine intake pressure, said means comprising a valve for controlling the admission oi pressure fluid to the cylinder, means operated by the control member for positioning the valve in order to select a pressure to be maintained and intake pressure responsive means for positionin: the servo-valve in order to determine the when critical altitude is reached throughout a range of pressure selections required for cruising, take-off and emergency.

' CLARENCE H. Jonerrnsnn. 

